An artist's impression what the Dreamland park could look like

Thanet council has been given the green light to buy Dreamland and turn it into the world's first heritage amusement park.

The authority has today won its case to get a compulsory purchase order for one of Margate's most iconic landmarks.

It wants to transform the former seafront attraction in a £10million project to stop it from slipping into further decline.

Dreamland has been vacant and unused for the past seven years.

Thanet District Council wants to convert the decaying site into the world's first heritage amusement park featuring historic rides.

But the authority had to take its proposed buy-out from the site owners, Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company, to a public inquiry earlier this year.

Today it has been given government approval for the compulsory purchase of the Dreamland site, which closed its doors in 2005.

Dreamland has fallen into disrepair since closing in 2005

Thanet council said it will now work to acquire the site before structural surveys can begin ahead of construction.

It is working with The Dreamland Trust to create a world-first - an amusement park with historic rides, classic side shows, cafes, restaurants and gardens.

It is hoped the first stage of the project will be open by easter 2014.

Council leader Cllr Clive Hart said: "I'm thrilled with today's announcement. This is a key step to unlocking the regeneration of the Dreamland site and means we can start to move in the right direction, in partnership with The Dreamland Trust, to progress the future of the site which has been vacant for a significant amount of time.

"Dreamland is such an important asset for Thanet, and for thousands outside of the area, so we've always been clear that doing nothing is simply not acceptable.

"It's taken a lot of hard work and determination to get to this point, with the council spending more than £1 million on carrying out urgent repairs to the neglected heritage assets.

"I'm thrilled that the secretary of state is confident in our plans to help secure the regeneration of Dreamland, and today's announcement moves us closer to delivering this greatly anticipated amusement park."

Dreamland Trust chairman Nick Laister said: "The residents and businesses of Thanet, and its many existing and future visitors, have waited far too long for work on this project to start. With our funding in place and our plans drawn up, today's news is hopefully the final major hurdle that we will have to cross.

The Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company was said to have had its own ideas of how the site could be revamped into a major tourism hotspot.

Visit Kent chief executive Sandra Matthews-Marsh said: "This is tremendous news for Margate, the Isle of Thanet and Kent tourism as a whole.

"Dreamland is an iconic location at the centre of one of Kent and England's most famous seaside resorts. Its redevelopment, when coupled with the extra visitor numbers and regeneration already being sparked by the Turner Contemporary, promises to put Margate firmly back on the tourism map."

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